Railway reels from manpower crisis

Lingering shortage of train operators and other essential staff for the past two decades has hobbled the services of Bangladesh Railway, the largest public transport sector in the country.

Years of attrition, corruption, interference in appointments from powerful quarters and legal wrangling are responsible for the sorry state of the once most effective and cheap transport system for millions.

Even though a large-scale recruitment began last year, the situation is not going to improve soon. The railway is still short of nearly 12,000 people and the crisis of loco masters (drivers), their assistants and station masters would continue for five more years, officials said.

It takes a long time for a train driver to be competent. Some 230 assistant drivers were recruited last year but they would qualify to run trains after seven years of training.

The railway has 601 drivers in place of the 1,245 it needs, according to the railway's official data. The crisis forced the railway to hire 86 retired drivers on contract.

Once overstaffed with 60,000 employees during the Pakistan era, donors advised the railway to reduce the headcount to cut losses.

The railway lost half its manpower by 2000 -- it suspended recruitment in 1985 and sent 10,000 workers into retirement through a plan named golden handshake in 1992.

The total workforce came down to 23,624 in 2012 as a number of fresh hiring processes later were marred by corruption and irregularities.

Job seekers filed 40 writ petitions against the hiring process alleging corruption, officials in Rail Bhaban told The Daily Star.

Meanwhile, over 1,000 employees were retiring every year, continuing to deplete the already meagre workforce.

This crisis of workers forced the railway to close a number of money-losing routes, sheds, depots and stations. Some passenger train services were also stopped, according to the railway's Information Book 2009.

An official at the Rail Bhaban, the railway HQ, said about 140 stations were closed, shrinking rail services. Besides, two to three stations were being closed every year.

“There is a crisis of loco masters, booking clerks, attendants and security guards. The authorities had to hire back a good number of retired staff to keep the current operation running,” said a senior official.

FAILED ATTEMPTS

Bangladesh Railway moved to recruit 1,650 people in various positions in 2006, the first time in two decades.

But the process had to be cancelled because applicants alleged some officials had taken bribes promising jobs. Without any enquiry, the communications ministry made a fresh move to hire 3,586 people in 2007.

A number of candidates selected in 2006, who did not get jobs in 2007, then filed writs challenging the fresh recruitment. 

The High Court slapped a stay on the process, officials said.

Another attempt to recruit 7,275 people in 2010 also got nowhere, as candidates of 2006 took the issue to the court again and got a stay order from the HC.

Four attempts to appoint 16,000 staff until 2011 failed mainly due to allegations of corruption and court orders.

There were allegations of improper selection procedures and jobs for bribes.

Some railway officials also alleged several syndicates of politicians, railway officials and ruling Awami League-backed union leaders had their hands in the recruitment process to get their men in.

These syndicates made crores of taka from "recruitment business," railway sources said on conditions of anonymity.

After becoming the rail minister, Suranjit Sengupta in 2011 moved to hire 4,892 people. This time too the process was suspended because of the so called “railwaygate scandal.”

The scandal broke in April that year when Tk 70 lakh was recovered from a microbus of the then assistant personal secretary of Suranjit at the BGB Headquarters gate in Dhaka. Reportedly, the money was bribes from job seekers.

The railway general manager (east) Yusuf Ali Mridha and divisional security commander Enamul Huq were riding in the microbus.

Suranjit lost his portfolio after that. Mridha and Huq were suspended and are now undergoing trial.

In June 2012, the railway tried again to recruit 1,834 personnel, including cleaners, guards and trolley men. But court orders held up hiring to important posts like drivers and station masters.

The railway struggles to operate trains smoothly with a severe shortage of drivers. “With the limited number of drivers, we somehow manage to run 339 passenger trains but the operation of 30 freight trains suffers severely,” said a senior official.

UPCOMING RECRUITMENT

The railway is going to recruit 67 more assistant drivers which would ease the driver crisis a little but recruitment of station masters seems a long way off.

An attempt to recruit 81 assistant station masters was made in 2006 but it was cancelled amid allegation of irregularities the following year. In the last 10 years, only 14 of them could be appointed.

Establishment section officials said a fresh move was underway to appoint 91 assistant station masters. “Three station masters are required to run a station round-the-clock,” said an official, adding that currently two station masters were doing extra four hours of duty to cover the time.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Railway has created 300 new positions of station masters to reopen some closed stations. It is seeking approval for the appointments.

Legal complications have also dogged the appointment of gatekeepers. There are only 242 gatekeepers now but the railway needs 785.

In 2011, the railway tried to recruit 432 gatekeepers but railway's on contract gatekeepers filed several writs and got a stay order.

“We hire men on daily and monthly basis as gatekeepers,” said an official at the establishment section.

The railway is planning to hire 100 more retired drivers and since early last year, some 5,000 people have been appointed to different sections.

“We are going to recruit several thousand people in different tiers of the railway within the next one year,” said Director Establishment of Railway Prodip Kumer Saha.

Train controllers, security guards, cleaners, sweepers, booking assistants, gatekeepers, porters and waymen are among them, he added.